Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-12-29
A CHEEKY CLAIM.
ALLEGING THB NATURALIZATION OF 4
GREAT EXPERIMENT"
To-wii, the Smelling Of Pig Metal By the lid Of Cas-
Something Which Hes Been Going on
in Wheeling for Months.

The Pittsburgh papers made great fuss
in their issues of yesterday about the
smelling of pig metal by natural gas,
claiming that the operation was the result
of long experiments, first set on foot
up there, and going over two
months or so, aud that it had at last been
brought to perfection in that city, and was
destined to revolutionizs the foundry
business. This discovery" was claimed
for Mr.. Jacob T. Wainwright, in the face
of the fact that natural gas has been used
for smelling pig iron in at least one Vince
ling foundry for four or five months, the
innovation working very successfully and
affording a complete and practical demon
stration of the ability of our toundrymen
TO do without coke in the prosecution Of
their business Mr.. A. J. Sweeney is the
gentleman who put natural gas to this use
in Wheeling, his successful experiments
being the result of the grasping demands of
the coke producers, some five or six months
ago, and ante-dating the Pittsburg claim
by that much. The Wheeling public, and
especially Wheeling foundrymen, are IA
miliar with the details of Mr.. Sweeney's
use of gas, and in the face of this knowl-
edge the Pittsburg claim sounds little
queer.
The Dispatch, Of that city, in noting the
great discovery" said in its issue of yes
terday:
"Manv experiments have been made in
this direction without success, but Mr..
Wainwright still chung to his faith in the
ultimate success of a gas furnace for cast
ipgs. Foundrymen generally discouraged
the idea, and it was only after many unsuc-
cessiul efforts, to secure test of his plan,
that facilities were furnished him.
Mr.. Wainwright has succeeded in demon
strating the success of his principle, and
yesterday made his first castings.
This furnace differs from the ordinary
blast furnaces in this, that while dispens
ing with coke, it has overcome the great
difficulty noted in connection with other
experiments in gas furnaces by mechan.
ical device for supporting the burden.
This device consists of a series OF pipes,
covered with fire clay tiles, and at the
same time yentilatipg the pipes with
current OF air. A combustion
chamber is also connected with the
furnace, which reduces the amount OF gas
needed to produce the required heat, and
also prevents the chilling of the furnace,
which has deem great obstacle to the sue
cess of other experiments, In the new
furnace the ordinary cupola blower is
used, and the gas and air are introduced
in u very simple manner iEto the CON-
bustiOn chamber in separate pipe. The
current for cooling the tubes, already
mentioned is supplied from the same air
blast, and from thence may he utilized in
the furnace. Ordinary Cupolas may be
easily altered so as TO do the required
work by adding the combustion chamber
and the protected tubes for supporti < the
burden. Among the advantages that will
ensure the success of Mr. WainwIlgbt'S
furnace will be that of dispensing with 90
per cent. of the coke now needed for ordl-
nary furnaces.
Mr. Sweeney was asked about the Pitts
burg invention" yesterday, when he said
there was no new principle involved in
Mr. Wainwright's furnace. 1T was prac-
tically the same A. the one in operation 10
the South Side foundry, except that the
Piltsburg man had put an arch in his fur.
mace to support the weight Of the metal,
something hr had not deemed essential.
Artificial gas, made from either coal or oil,
had been used in smelling iron for years.
either III the Seimens-Martin furnace, or
by other appliances, but Mr. Sweeney
claims to he the first loundryman TO put
natural gas TO this use, and his claim IS
well founded But he this ia il may,
there is no doubt but that Mr.. S"eeney
was several months ahead Of Mr.. VAIN
wright, and the claims of the Pitisburg
papers look corrcspondngly cheeky.